HBO Films

Bob Balaban

as Ben Ginsberg

Character Bio

In the FilmNational Counsel to the Bush-Cheney Presidential Campaign

While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Ginsberg worked as a reporter, contributing editor and editor in chief for the campus newspaper. After graduating in 1974, he spent five years as a reporter for the Boston Globe, Philadelphia Bulletin and other papers before attending law school at Georgetown University. He devoted eight years to the Republican national, senatorial and congressional committees until he took a position at lobbying and law firm Patton Boggs in 1993.

After the RecountAfter the 2000 election, Ginsberg shifted his focus to congressional redistricting. He resumed his role as counsel to the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2004, but resigned as chief counsel after reports that he concurrently gave legal advice to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which John Kerry's camp branded as a smear campaign. While the situation raised ethical questions, Ginsberg did not break any laws. He still practices at Patton-Boggs, representing clients on Capitol Hill.

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